Heater for aerosol foam dispensing packages



March 2, 1965 REICH ETAL 3,171,572

HEATER FOR AEROSOL FOAM DISPENSING PACKAGES Filed Aug. 2, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet l 'FEG.I

INVENTORS JOH N E. AYRES BY 4 0 7444 Eva M1, n/"Zm i2 ATTORNEYS IRVING REICH March 2, 1965 l. RElcH ETAL 3,171,572

HEATER FOR AEROSOL FOAM DISPENSING PACKAGES Filed Aug. 2, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS IRVING REICH JOHN E. AYRES BY Marya n, p i

ATTOF-Z N EYS March 2, 1965 l. REICH ETAL HEATER FOR AEROSOL FOAM DISPENSING PACKAGES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORJ IRVING REICH JOHN E. AYRES Filed Aug. 2, 1962 March 2, 1965 1. REICH ETAL 3,171,572

HEATER FOR AEROSOL FOAM DISPENSING PACKAGES Filed Aug. 2, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F I C5. 6

4i- 4 If T ii I 1 I [P I i 32 i i M J 7\ 1 J2 i 1 INVENTORS IRVING REICH JOHN E. AYRES BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent Irving Reich, Highland Park, and Eohn E. Ayres, hflountainside, N.J., assignors to Carter Products, line, New York, NFL, a corporation of itdaryiand Filed Aug. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 214,336 1? Qlaims. (m. 222-146} This invention relates to a heater for aerosol-type containers and more particularly to a heater attachment which can be interconnected with the discharge opening of a pres surized aerosol-type package for heating aerosol lather and foam products such as shaving cream lathers, shampoo lathers, and the like, as they emerge through the discharge opening.

Within recent years, there has been a widespread acceptance or" various lather and foam products packaged in pressurized aerosol-type containers. In such packages, the product exists within the container under the pressure of a propellant gas. Upon opening of the discharge outlet, the propellant forces out the product in a controlled manner.

In many such products, the propellant exists within the can in liquefied form emulsified in the product as small droplets as disclosed, for example, in the US. Patent No. 2,655,480 to Spitzer, Reich and Fine. Upon discharge of the product, the liquid droplets of propellant expand to gas bubbles to generate the foam. The nature of the mechanism, therefore, includes expansion and frequently an evaporation of the propellant with a cooling effect upon the product. Thus, the discharged product is never higher than room temperature and frequently is cooled below room temperature.

Although relatively low temperature is of little or no consequence in some instances, a low temperature of the product is undesirable and sometimes even deleterious in other instances.

With a shaving cream product, for example, it is wellknown that the ease and effectiveness of shaving the human beard is facilitated and advanced by a warm lather. The hairs of the beard are more easily shaved when softened by penetration of moisture from the lather, and the rate and thoroughness of such softening and penetration increases with increasing lather temperature. It is also wellknown that warm shaving lathers are more comfortable on the face of many users and conform to the feel produced by the conventional practice of producing lather with a brush and warm water.

A number of devices have been proposed for heating foam products upon emergence from pressurized aerosoltype containers, including devices for heating pressurized shaving creams. However, the gas bubbles in extruded foams and lathers act as heat insulators. Consequently, foams and lathers are intrinsically difiicult to heat. Moreover, the heating devices themselves create an additional and complicating problem because they offer flow resistance to the pressure-propelled, expanding lather.

A low flow resistance is a matter of importance because of the properties of many aerosol foams and lathers. They have a high viscosity. Therefore, they cannot be forced through the heat transfer passage of the device at a useful rate unless the passage offers little resistance to flow. Further, many lathers and foams are highly com pressible. They will be compressed as they are forced through the device. After the user discontinues the operation, the compressed foam or lather in the device will expand and ooze out of the exit causing wasteful and messy afterflow. If the heating device Ofiers considerable flow resistance, the lather will be able to expand and escape only slowly thereby causing the afterflow to be prolonged and copious.

Some of the proposed devices utilize electric elements for heating a long tube through which the product passes. Such use of electrical heating means, or the use of flaming burner devices as has also been proposed, introduces the hazards and inconveniences of fires and electric cords.

Other similar proposed devices utilize a jacket around a tube, the jacket being supplied with a continued flow of hot water from a tap. These devices eliminate the hazard of electric heaters, but they are awkward to use because of the necessity of connecting them to the faucet. in addition, they are ineffective because at practical flow rates the product is not raised to temperatures substantially higher than room temperature or close to the hot water tap temperature. With shaving cream products, for example, suitaole temperatures are not obtained by tube Water heaters unless the lather or foam flow rate is reduced to about 2 or 3 cc. per second. Since the average person requires about 35 cc. of lather for a single shave, a considerable time would be required to collect sufficient foam or lather. Apart from the inconvenience, this collection process may result in a cooling or coarsening of the lather. Also, a substantial volume of product is held within the device after the user discontinues the operation. This lather or foam deteriorates on standing until the device is used again and, accordingly, it is wasted.

Other proposed devices have employed non-tubular type .eat exchanges which are first filled with product and then held by the user in a stream of hot water from the tap. With these heaters, the product is not heated substantially above room temperature unless the heating period is prolonged for an inconvenient time, and the foam tends to become coarse and unstable.

For these, and additional, reasons, the proposed devices have been impractical and ineffective.

Speaking generally, the present invention obviates such dimculties. It provides a heating attachment for conventional pressurized aerosol-type foam and lather containers which has high efiiciency. It quickly heats the product to a temperature substantially above room temperature while maintaining the discharge at adequate flow rates. It is compact and rugged. it is inexpensive to manufacture. it utilizes heat obtained from the water of an ordinary hot water tap but does not require continuous holding of the device in the stream thereof or connection of a jacket to the hot water tap by tubing or other physical means. It raises the temperature of the pressurized product, as the product emerges from the container, to temperatures close to the temperature of the hot Water. Moreover, it has only a nominal holdup volume of residual product and, therefore, substantially eliminates wastage. With shaving cream products, for example, there is substantially no 'aftcrilow of lather upon discontinuance of use of the device. It is a practical and effective heater which permits shaving cream users to use warm and comfortable lather with increased moisture penetration and beard softening effects for easier, faster and closer shaving.

The objects of the invention are to provide lather heating means having the advantages and virtue just described.

Briefly, these objects and advantages are obtained by the novel method of discharging the foam product from within the pressurized package, forming and confining the product into a thin sheet as it emerges from the package, passing the sheet into heat-transfer relationwith a bath of hot water, and discharging the product from contact with the bath of hot water.

More preferably, two heat conductive members that form a thin wide chamber are first pre-heated. Next, the foam product is discharged from the package. The product is then formed into a thin wide sheet and heated by passing it through the chamber. Finally, the product is discharged from the chamber.

Briefly, the objects and advantages of the invention and the above method may be practiced by providing a heating device attachable to the outlet member of an aerosol-type foam generating and dispensing package including a hollow body capacitated to hold hot water. Means are mounted within the body for forming and confining the product in a thin wide sheet as it passes through the body in heattransfer relation with the hot water. And outlet means are provided for discharging the form product from the body and from the forming and confining means.

Preferably, the forming and confining means'include at least one pair of spaced plates having a length and width substantially greater than the distance therebetween. And, preferably, means are provided for detachably connecting the heating device to the package in such a Way that it can be removed and used with a new package as desired. However, the heating device may be formed as an integral part of the package.

More preferably, the forming and confining means consist of a radiator mounted within the body spaced from the bottom and side walls thereof. The radiator includes at least one chamber comprised of a pair of closely spaced plates for forming and confining the product as a thin sheet. An inlet conduit means adapted for interconnection with the outlet member of the package is provided in the radiator to communicate with each chamber; and, an outlet conduit means is provided in the radiator leading from each chamber and communicating with the outside of the body, whereby the contents of the package can be dispensed through each chamber.

More preferably, and particularly for the heating of shaving lather, the inlet conduit means and outlet conduit means are separated by a path of travel of between 0.5 and 8 inches, the total surface area of the chambers is at least 6 square inches, the plates of each pair are spaced with a clearance so that each chamber of the radiator has an internal thickness of between .01 to 0.10 inch and the total volume of the chambers of the radiator is less than 0.7 cubic inch.

. Still more preferably, each pair of plates is a pair of telescopically disposed and concentrically related closely spaced hollow elongated metal plates sealed one to the other along their tops and bottom edges to provide the chamber therewithin and to form a well within the inner most member, and to form a reservoir between the outermost member and the body of the device, with the well or the reservoir exposed to the open top of the body. For heating shaving lathers, the most preferred form of the invention has a space between the cylinders of about 0.015 inch and the total surface area of the chamber formed by the cylinders is about 14 square inches.

Having briefly described the invention, a more detailed description is made below by reference to typical embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIGURE '1 is a front elevation view showing one embodirnent of the invention afiixed to the top of a typical aerosol foam dispensing package;

FIGURE 2 is a top elevation view showing the embodiment of the invention and aerosol package of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 21A is a bottom plan view of the cap for the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view in side elevation of the embodiment of the invention of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged side view in section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4A is a fragmentary detailed view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the valve in the closed position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5- 5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 5A is a sectional view taken along lines 5A 5A of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a pictorial representation of another embodiment of the invention mounted on the side of a typical aerosol foam dispensing package;

FIGURE 7 is a pictorial representation of an alternative form of the radiator element of the invention; and

FIGURE 8 is a pictorial representation of still another form of radiator element of the invention affixed to a typical aerosol foam dispensing package.

Referring now to the typical embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a typical aerosol-type foam dispensing container is shown in FIGURE 6. It is comprised of can 1 having a suitably attached bottom 2 and lid 3. Lid 3 has a central opening for discharge of prodnot and it will be understood that liquid product is contained within the can under the pressure of a propellant for discharge through this opening. (See also FIGURE 4.) It is customary to provide such aerosol type containers with a valve means secured just below the opening in the lid 3 with a combined spout and valve button 4 just above the opening so that the product is expelled from the container in a controlled manner when the valve button is depressed by the actuator.

7 As shown most clearly in FIGURES 4 and 4A, the valve means includes a diaphragm 5, preferably made of rubber or the like, which is mounted between the lid 3 and the conventional dip tube 5. The diaphragm includes a plurality of openings '7 which are normally closed by the centrally located depending tubular portion 8 on the lid 3 as shown in FIGURE 4A. A tubular valve actuator 9 is mounted coaxially with the opening in lid 3 and in normal abutting relationship with the diaphragm 5, and actuating relationship with the button. Thus, when the tubular valve actuator 9 is depressed by actuation of the valve button by the user, the openings 7 are no longer obstructed by the depending portion 8. The lower end of the actuator 9 is provided with a diametrically disposed slot 10 to permit the product to be discharged from the can 1 and into the interior passageway 11 of the actuator 9 and thence out through the spout.

' The valve construction described above is conventional and it will be understood, of course, that other and different forms of valve mechanisms may be employed with the present invention.

A preferred form of the heating device of the present invention for use as an attachment on the op of an aerosol shaving lather package is shown in FIGURES 1 through 5A. In this instance, the combined spout and valve button of the aerosol package is removed to expose the central opening in the top 3 of the can and to render the valve actuator 9 therein accessible, see FIGURE 4.

The heating device of this preferred form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES l to 5A includes a body 12 capacitated to hold hot water and having the general configuration of a cup with an open top. It is made of common plastic material having the properties of stiffness, lightness and low rate of heat conduction, such as linear polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or similar materials.

The bottom of the cup 12 is fashioned with a configuration generally complementary to the top 3 of the aerosol package for sealing engagement therewith and includes a peripheral annular flange 19 to grip the package for attachment of the body 12 to the package or can 1.

Extending upwardly from the bottom portion of the body 12 is an outwardly located cylindrical portion 13 and a centrally located cylinder 21. Telescopically mounted on the cylinder 21, preferably with a friction fit, is a valve actuator housing comprising a tubular body 14 and having an offset arm 15, the purpose of which will be more fully described subsequently.

A valve actuator assembly 16 cooperates with the cylinder 21 and the tubular body 14 and comprises an operating button 17 having stem 16 extending from the underside thereof. The end of the stem 16 engages the shoulder 18 of a tubular plunger 20 mounted slidably within the cylinder 21. The plunger 26 includes a shoulder 22 adapted to engage the end of the conventional tubular valve actuator 9. Mounted within the plunger 2t), preferably with a press fit, is a choke element 24. The choke 24 includes a longitudinal groove so that the choke can meter the flow rate of the product to about 48 cc. per second.

The plunger 29 includes a stop flange 23 at one end which compresses an (3 ring 28 fitted around the plunger 2% and on the top of the cylinder I13 to seal the housing and limit the downward movement of the plunger as can be seen in FIGURE 4.

As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the valve means or diaphragm returns the operating button 17 and associated elements to their starting position alter the user releases the operatin button 17. In order to prevent the operating button i? from being disengaged from the tubular body 14, the operating stem to has a flared portion 29 which engages an internal shoulder 36 on the tubular body 14.

A spout 32 extends radially outwardly from an exterior side wall of the body 12 and contains an internal passageway leading through the wall to communicate with the interior of the body 12, as best shown in FlGURE 4.

Means are provided wi bin the bod 22 for forming and confining the product as a thin sheet as it passes through the body. In the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings, this forming and confining means is a radiator 3 consisting of a pair of closely spaced generally cylindrical metal plate members 37 mounted witi in the interior of the body 12 by structure described hereinafter. plate members have a length and Width Very substantially greater than the space between them. in the preferred embodiment shown to illustrate the invention, these plate members are telescopically disposed and concentrically positioned upright cylinders spaced away from the side walls and bottom of the body 12. ihe top and bottom edges or" the cylinders 3t; and 37 are sealed one to the other to provide a liquid tight chamber 38 therewithin by any suitable means as, for example, by press fitting. This positioning and configuration of the pair of the members provides a well it? within the inner cylinder member 36 that is exposed to the open top of the body 12. it also provides a reservoir 41 between the side walls of the body 12 and the outermost cylinder member 37 that leads to the well at the bottom thereof. Consequently, addition of Water through the open top of the body 12. into the well all automatically will cause the reservoir 4-1 also to take on and hold water to submerge the radiator.

The radiator 34 has an inlet conduit means including a passageway 42 within the offset arm of the valve actuator housing 14 communicatin with the chamber 38. As shown best in FIGURE 4, the inner plate 36 includes an expanded bump wl'uch fits into a complementary recess 4s at the end of the offset arm 15 with a friction snap-fit. An G ring 43 is located between bump 4- 5 and the housing 15 to provide a seal therebetween.

Similarly, at a point on the chamber substantially removed from the inlet conduit means, the radiator 34 has an outlet conduit means communicating with the spout 32 and the chamber 38 including an expanded bump 7d. The bump '76 has a press fit engagement with the opening in body 2 leading to the passageway of spout 32.

The bumps 34 and aid in moun ing the radiator 34 in the desired fixed position within the interior of the body 32 spaced away from the bottom and side walls thereof and provide an easily assembled snap-fit arrangement between the radiator the body To insure the position of the radiator 34, spacers 55% are interposed between and engage the outer cylinder 3? and the side walls of the body 12 as shown in FIGURE 5. In addition, to insure that the radiator 34 is spaced from the bottom of the body 12, spacers 51 are interposed between and engage the bottom of radiator 34 and the bottom surface of body 12.

The device includes a top portion 12A which is fitted to the top of body 12 and includes an annular lip 47 that extends inwardly above the top of the radiator 34 and 6 downwardly into engagement with a complementary lip 49 on the offset body 15.

In operating this preferred form of the invention, the user places the can 1 with the attached heating device under a hot water faucet and fills the body 12 with hot water. The hot water enters into the well 49 within the inner cylinder member as and also flows into the res eryoir all between the outer cylinder member 37 and the side walls of the body 12 to submerge the radiator 34 and its chamber 33. The hot water immediately heats the cylinders 36 and 3'7 of radiator 34 to substantially the temperature of the water itself. The user then removes the can from the faucet and presses the actuator button 17 which in turn opens valve means 5. The propellant within the aerosol package propels the product out of the aerosol container through the tubular passageway 31 in the valve actuator 9, through the groove 26 in the choke 24 and thence through the inlet conduit means including passageway and into the chamber 33 between the cylinder members 35 and 357.

As it enters the chamber, the foam or lather is formed by the closely spaced plates or cylinders into a thin wide sheet. Under the continued pressure of the pressurized package, the product proceeds (in the form of a thin sheet) toward the outlet conduit means and during this passage the sheet is confined at its upper and lower surfaces. The sheet travels through the chamber 38 until it passes through the outlet conduit means including the opening in the bump ill and finally emerges from spout 32.

Normally, the product would tend to form multiple layers of bubbles that would act as heat insulating cells. However, because the product is confined as a thin Wide sheet during its passage through the chamber, the formation of such multiple layers of bubbles is reduced. Heat transfer is facilitated by bringing the product into intimate contact with the surfaces of the chamber and the product is heated to a temperature close to the hot water temperature.

FIGURE 6 of the drawing illustrates another form of the invention intended for attachment to the side of an aerosol package. The details of the construction of the body 12, radiator 34- and inlet and outlet conduit means are the same as the form illustrated in FIGURES 1-5 except for minor variations as follows.

In the form of FIGURE 6, the valve button and spout 4- of the conventional aerosol package is left in place and the inlet conduit means consists of a tube 42' that passes radially outwardly from an opening in outermost cylinder 37 through an opening in the side wall of body 12 and is directly connected to the spout of the aerosol package. Consequently, the body 12 is constructed with a continuous liquid tight bottom Without the cylinder 21, without the valve actuator housing 14, and without the structure associated therewith. In addition, a bow shaped clip 52 may be fixed to the body to extend sidewise to grip the can of the aerosol package and hold the heating device firmly at the side of the package. Although not shown in the pictorial representation of FIGURE 6, the body 12 may be fitted with an upper cap portion 12A as with the embodiment shown in FIGURES l5A. A spout 32 is provided for the same purpose as with the embodiment shown in FIGURES l-SA.

Operation of the embodiment of FIGURE 6, and the results obtained therewith, are the same as the operation and results of the embodiment of FIGURES 1-5.

It should be understood that the two cylinder members 36 and 3'7 of the thin sheet forming and confining means need not be exactly parallel to each other. It is import ant, however, that they be closely spaced to each other with the distance between them much less than their diameter or length so that the foam or lather is formed into a thin wide shee And it is important, also, that the size of the plates and the positions of the conduits provide '7 r a relatively short path for the lather to travel between the inlet conduit means and the outlet conduit means. Nor is it necessary to construct the radiator 34 in the form of hollow cylinder members. For example, FIG- URE 8 illustrates a radiator of a simpler form. In this form, the chamber of the radiator 54 is formed from a pair of parallel fiat metal plates sealingly connected at their edges. As with the form illustrated in FIGURE 6, the radiator 54 is mounted within a hot-water containing body (not shown in order to better illustrate the radiator) with an inlet conduit means including tube 51 passing through the side Wall of the body to directly interconnect with the spout of the aerosol package and the outlet conduit means including tube 56 similarly passing through the body to the body spout. Also, as will be understood from the foregoing, the radiator 54 with such interconnections need not be mounted within a body containing hot water but may be simply immersed in a mass of hot Water for heating of the plates and thereafter removed for discharging of the lather.

Still another form of the radiator element of the invention is illustrated in FIGURE 7, wherein two pairs of parallel plates 60 are sealingly connected at their top and bottom edges by top and bottom strips 61 to form two chambers with a common interconnecting entry passage 62 and interconnecting exit passage 63, all other parts of the structure being the same as the embodiment of the radiator element illustrated in FIGURE 8 as will be understood.

As will be understood from the above description, other forms of the invention may be prepared with variations in the means for forming and confining the foam product as a thin wide sheet, e.g., three or more pairs of parallel plates may be used with common exit and entry passages instead of two pairs as illustrated in FIG- URE 7. Three or more chambers, thus, would be provided, and the foam would be divided with a thin sheet of foam product travelling through each chamber. With these embodiments of the invention utilizing these forms of radiator element, as with the radiators 34 of FIG- URES 1-6, the advantages of the invention are obtained with a relatively short path of lather travel between inlet conduit means and outlet conduit means and with the plates of each chamber closely spaced by a distance very substantially less than their length and width.

Thus, many variants of design may be made within the scope of the invention. The means for forming and confining the product as a thin sheet need not have any specific shape to obtain the advantages of the invention, -i.e., effective foam and lather heating at an adequate flow rate with negligible afterflow and wastage.

Also, it will be understood from the above description that the heating device of the invention need not be a separate device for removable attachment to the foam dispensing package but may be made as a permanent integral par-t thereof.

In operating the invention, various terms for measuring performance may be used for convenience as follows: Heating efiiciency may be defined as the number of degrees by which the lather is heated divided by the difference between temperature of the hot water and the temperature of the unheated lather, expressed as a percentage. The maximum efficiency would be 100%. Holdup volume may be defined as the volume of the residual lather remaining in the heater after use. This equals the chamber volume. Afterfiow may be defined as the amount of lather which continues to emerge from the heater outlet for an undesirable period of time after the valve had been closed. For purposes of standard comparison, three seconds may be selected as a practical length of time during which afterflow would be little noticed. Hence, afterliow may be measured by wiping the spout clean three seconds after the valve is closed and then recording the volume of lather and the length of time during which additional lather emerges. Flow 8 rate may be defined as the volume of lather per second passed through the device during operation.

In general, with embodiments of the present invention, the efficiency of heating decreases with increasing rate of lather flow and increases with increasing radiator chamber surface area in accordance with the following equation:

where E is heat efiiciency, A is plate heat transfer area in square inches, and R is rate of lather flow in cubic centimeters per second. This equation is only approximate, since the exact heating efficiency also varies with other factors.

In general, the practice of the invention to heat typical aerosol shaving foam products will be found useful with embodiments having radiator surface areas in the range of 6 to 30 square inches. Surface areas above 6 square inches result in good heating efiiciency at practical lather flow rates and surface areas under 30 inches result in low holdup volume with nominal wastage of lather.

Similarly, variations in the clearance space between the plates of the chamber of the invention in the range of 0.01 to 0.10' inch result in good heating efliciencies in connection with typical aerosol shaving foam products. Clearances greater than 0.10 inch produce lower efiiciencies and also generally result in large hold-up volume and wastage of lather. Conversely, there is a tendency for softening and sputtering of the lather, with excessively constricted spaces, that may disturb the bubble structure. Preferred heating efliciencies with nominal hold-up volume and lather wastage are obtained with clearance spaces in the range of 0.010 to 0.030 inch.

The total chamber volume, and hence the hold-up volume or lather wasted each time the heater is used, generally is the product of internal chamber thickness and the area of one plate. This substantial wastage of lather will be avoided with volumes less than 0.7 cubic inch and preferably less than 0.5 cubic inch. Accordingly, it is especially desirable to have the internal thickness of the chamber small when the heater surface area is large.

In practicing the invention to heat typical aerosol shaving foam product, the flow path of the sheet of lather through the chamber should be relatively short to avoid pressure which builds up within the chamber. Excessive compression of the thin wide sheet of lather in the chamber causes afterflow. However, it should be noted that with larger chamber widths there is less back pressure within the thin sheet of lather. The practice of the invention will be found useful with embodiments having a flow path from chamber inlet conduit to outlet conduit less than eight inches and most preferably less than about four inches.

The following are illustrative examples of practice of the invention in heating pressurized foam products such as shaving cream.

' EXAMPLE 1 The lather device of FIGURE 6 was constructed with the plastic body 12 having side walls of a height of about 2 inches and a bottom having a diameter of 1.75 inches. The height of the metal cylinders 36 and 37 was 1.812 inches. The outer cylinder 37 had an outer diameter of 1.406 inches and an inner diameter of 1.312 inches. The inner cylinder 36 had an outer diameter of 1.250 inches and an inner diameter of 1.1125 inches. Thus, the chamber .38 between the cylinders had a thickness of 0.031 inch and a volume of 0.22 cubic inch. Both cylinders were made of steel. As can be seen from the foregoing, the surface area of each side of the cylinders 36 and 37 was about 7.2 square inches, and, therefore, the total surface area of the chamber of the radiator was about 14.4 square inches.

The inlet conduit means and the outlet conduit means were located in diametrically opposed positions on the chambers with the inlet near the top of the body and the 3. outlet near the bottom as illustrated in FIGURE 6. The path of travel for the lather as it passed through the radiator was approximately 2.4 inches.

EXAMPLE 2 An embodiment of the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1-5A was prepared with the radiator 34 made of aluminum, the outer cylinder member 37 having a diameter of 1.70 inches and the inner cylinder 36 having a diameter that provided a chamber width, -i.e., internal thickness, of 9.015 inch. Each side of the cylindrical members had a surface area of about 7 square inches so that the total surface area of the chamber was 14 square inches and its volume was 0.09 cubic inch. The path of travel separating the conduit means was 2.9 inches. The body 12 was made of linear polyethylene.

In each instance, the device was used to heat the same brand of pressurized shaving cream, purchased in the market, with hot Water issuing from a tap at approximately 120 F. The room temperature Was about 70 F. and the flow rate was 8 cc./se

Table 1 Afteri'low Heating Efliciency, percent Time,

Volume, Sec. ec.

0. 10 Example #2 0.

The data shows that Example 1 had an emeiency of 78%. It raised the lather temperature to approximately 109 R, which was substantially above :body temperature and provided good beard softening and moisture penetra tion effects. Example 2 had an efiiciency of 85% and consequently raised lather temperature to about 112 F. With both of these illustrative examples of the invention, afterfiow volume and time were inconsequential. Both examples had minimal chamber volume so that wastage of lather was negligible.

It is preferred, although not essential, that the thin sheet forming and confining means or radiator element of the invention be made of metal. dowever, the radiator element may be made from non-metallic materials. Preferably, with such elements, the cylinders or plates of the radiator should be fashioned with thin walls.

Similarly, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing descriptions and illustrations of typical embodiments of the invention, except as expressed hereinafter in the claims.

We claim:

1. A heating device for heating a foam product as the product emerges from the outlet of a valve-actuated, pressurized, aerosol-type foam product-dispensing package comprising:

(a) a body adapted to hold a supply of hot water,

(b) means for conducting the product from said outlet to within said body,

(0) means mounted within said body for forming and confining the product in a thin Wide sheet in heat transfer relationship with the hot water as the product passes through said body, and

(d) outlet means for discharging the heated foam product from within said body and said forming and confining means.

2. A heating device as defined in claim 1, wherein the forming and confining means includes at least one pair of spaced plates the length and Width of the product passageway there-between being substantially greater than the distance between said plates.

3. A heating device as defined in claim 2, wherein said plates are concentric to one another.

4. A heating device as defined in claim 3 wherein said plates are concentric to the longitudinal axis of the package.

5. A heating device as defined in claim 3, wherein said plates are concentric about an axis displaced from the 5 longitudinal axis of the package.

6. A heating device as defined in claim 5, wherein said plates are substantially parallel to one another.

7. A heating device for heating a foam product as it emerges from the outlet of a valve actuated pressurized aerosol-type package comprising: a hollow body adapted to hold a supply of hot water, sheet forming means mounted within said body and including at least one pair of plates concentrically mounted with respect to the axis of the package and having a length and width substantia-l'ly greater than the distance therebetween to form the foam product into a thin wide sheet in heat transfer relationship with the hot water as the product passes through said body, said plates having :means communicating with the outlet of the package and said plates having means cooperating with said body for permitting the discharge of the foam product from the outlet to said body and from within said body and said plates.

8. A heating device for heating a product as it emerges from the outlet of a valve actuated pressurized aerorsoltype foam producing package comprising:

(a) an open ended hollow body adapted to hold a supply of hot Water,

(12) a radiator including at least one pair of plates having a length and width substantially greater than the distance therebetween to form the product into a thin Wide sheet as it passes therethrough,

said radiator having an inlet communicating with the package outlet and an outlet cooperating with the body for discharging of the foam product from said body and radiator,

(c) and means mounting said radiator concentrically Within the body and in spaced relation to the bottom and sides thereof.

9. A valve operated pressurized aerosol-type foam 40 package for discharging heated foam products, compris- (a) a container having an interior portion for holding product under pressure,

(b) a liquid foam producing product and a normally gaseous propellant confined within said interior portion under the pressure of the propellant,

(c) a valve controlled outlet member on the container and communicating with said interior portion or" the container for release of the product from said interior portion through the outlet member under the pressure of the propellant upon actuation of the valve.

(d) said container having a hollow body portion,

( 1) said hollow body portion having an open top and having sides and a bottom capacitated to hold hot water,

(e) an inlet conduit on said hollow body portion communicating from the interior of said hollow body portion to said outlet member,

(f) means within said hollow body portion for forming the product into a thin wide sheet and for confining the product as a thin wide sheet within the interior of said hollow body portion when tr e product passes from said inlet conduit to said outlet conduit under the pressure of the propellant, and

(g) an outlet conduit on said hollow body portion communicating from the interior of said body to the atmosphere to discharge the heated product.

10. The subject matter of claim 9 wherein said means for forming the product into a thin wide sheet and for 70 confining the product as a thin wide sheet is at least one pair or" closely spaced plates mounted on said hollow body portion.

11. The subject matter of claim ill wherein each pair of plates is a pair of telescopically disposed and concen- 75 trically related hollow elongated plates mounted concentrically within said hollow body portion and in spaced relation to the bottom and sides of said hollow body portion to form a well within the innermost plate and to form a reservoir between the outermost plate and the sides of said hollow body portion.

12. The subject matter of claim 11 characterized by the fact that the plates are cylinders.

13. A heating device attachable to the outlet member of a valve-operated, pressurized shaving cream lather dispensing package for heating the lather product as it emerges from the outlet member on the package, comprising:

(a) a hollow body having an open top and capacitated to hold water placed within the body through the top.

' (b) a radiator mounted in the interior of the body and having at least one thin wide hollow chamber capacitated to hold product,

() an inlet conduit means on said radiator adapted for interconnection with the outlet member of the package and communicating with each chamber,

(d) an outlet conduit means on the radiator leading from each chamber and communicating with the outside of the body, whereby the lather contents of the package can be dispensed from the outlet member of the package through each chamber to the outside of the body under the pressure of the package when the device is interconnected to the package,

(1) the inlet conduit means and the outlet conduit means being separated one from the other on the radiator by a path of travel through each chamber in a range of one-half to eight inches,

(2) the radiator having a total surface area of at least 6 square inches,

(3) the total volume of the chambers of the radiator being in the range of up to 0.7 cubic inches, and

(4) each chamber of the radiator having at least one internal dimension in the range of 0.010 to 0.10 inch.

14. The subject matter of claim 13 characterized by the fact that each chamber of the radiator has at least one internal dimension in the range of 0.01 to 0.030

inch to form and confine the product as a thin wide sheet having a thickness of 0.01 to 0.030 inch in the chamber.

15. The subject matter of claim 14 characterized by the fact that the radiator consists of a pair of parallel plates to form each chamber, with the parallel plates sealed to one another along their edges.

16. The subject matter of claim 15 characterized by the fact that means are provided to mount the radiator within the interior of the body in a position spaced from the interior surfaces of the body, and the radiator consists of at least one pair of telescopically disposed and concentrically related hollow elongated members sealed one to the other along their end edges to form the chamber therewithin and to form a well within the innermost member and to form a reservoir between the outermost member and the body.

17. The subject matter of claim 16 characterized by the fact that the clearance dimension between said cylinders is 0.015 inch.

18. The subject matter of claim 16 characterized by the fact that the cylinders of each pair of cylinders form a chamber having a total surface area of 14 square inches, said cylinders are spaced one from the other by a distance of .015 inch to form and confine the product as a thin sheet having a thickness of .015 inch, and said inlet conduit and outlet conduit are separated on said cylinders by a distance in the range of one to four inches.

19. A heating device attachable to the outlet member of a pressurized shaving cream lather dispensing package for heating the lather product as it emerges from the outlet of the package, comprising a radiator having at least one thin wide hollow chamber capacitated to hold product in the form of a thin wide sheet, an inlet conduit on said radiator for interconnection with the outlet member of the package and communicating with each chamber, and an outlet conduit on the radiator leading from and communicating with each chamber to discharge the product, whereby the radiator may be heated by immersion in hot water and thereafter lather can be dispersed from the outlet member of the package through each chamber to be discharged in heated condition under the pressure of the package when the device is interconnected to the package.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,920,122 7/33 Chavanne -1 2,835,781 5/58 Bashuk 219-393 2,873,351 2/59 Lannert 222-146 X 2,914,221 11/59 Rosenthal 222-146 3,069,528 12/62 Gardner 219-393 3,095,122 6/63 Lewiecki et a1. 222-146 3,098,925 7/63 Fouts et al. 219-393 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HEATING DEVICE FOR HEATING A FOAM PRODUCT AS THE PRODUCT EMERGES FROM THE OUTLET OF A VALVE-ACTUATED, PRESSURIZED, AEROSOL-TYPE FOAM PRODUCT-DISPENSING PACKAGE COMPRISING: (A) A BODY ADAPTED TO HOLD A SUPPLY OF HOT WATER, (B) MEANS FOR CONDUCTING THE PRODUCT FROM SAID OUTLET TO WITHIN SAID BODY, (C) MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BODY FORFORMING AND CONFINING THE PRODUCT IN A THIN WIDE SHEET IN HEAT TRANSFER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOT WATER AS THE PRODUCT PASSES THROUGH SAID BODY, AND (D) OUTLET MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE HEATED FOAM PRODUCT FROM WITHIN SAID BODY AND SAID FORMING AND CONFINING MEANS. 